


Catastrophe

by shallwebegin



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Arrow - Freeform, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Legends of Tomorrow - Freeform, Legends of Tomorrow Team are Family, The Waverider (DC's Legends of Tomorrow)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-25
Updated: 2016-09-01
Packaged: 2018-08-11 01:48:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 6,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7870843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shallwebegin/pseuds/shallwebegin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This was inspired by funny texts with ninjamcgarrett over the picture of Katie Cassidy and Caity Lotz holding a cat on the Arrow set. Basically, Laurel finds a cat; Sara takes it back to the Waverider knowing her sister will soon be lost. Madness ensues, including:</p><p>Continuing cat and mouse game/war between Cat and Tiny Atom<br/>Mick and kitty cuddles<br/>Sara and kitty cuddles<br/>Rip muttering about bringing strays to the Waverider (while cuddling)<br/>....etc.</p><p>ninja mcgarret will be working on Catastrophe from the Arrow universe side. Suggestions for the madness welcome.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. And so it begins...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ninjamcgarrett](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninjamcgarrett/gifts).



The crew greeted Sara when she returned from Star City in 2016. The benefit of working on a time machine was choosing not just where, but when to take your shore leave.

Sara had returned home to a time when she was missing from the timeline but her sister Laurel was alive.

She sat next to Ray and leaned her head on his shoulder. “I miss her already.”

He wrapped a brotherly arm over her shoulder and told her he was sorry. Then he sneezed. And sneezed again.

“Oh-oh,” Sara said.

His eyes were turning red and he tried to stifle another sneeze. Then his eyes widened even as they watered. “Where did that come from?” he gasped, pointing at the silky cat currently rubbing Sara’s ankles.

“Are you allergic?” she asked, sounding horrified.

He sneezed again. “Very!”

“Crap,” she said. “I thought it’d be okay to bring him on board. Laurel was going to adopt him but you know…”

Ray nodded. Her sister would be gone soon; murdered by a megalomaniac, which would leave the cat without a human provider again. Ray also wondered if the cat might help Sara through the grieving she would face knowing how her beautiful, too-young sister would be lost.

He tried to take a deep breath and regretted it but gave her a smile. “I bet Gideon knows of some allergy treatment from the future?” he offered.

Sara brightened and scooped up the fluffy furball. She grabbed Ray’s arm and led them to sickbay before he could change his mind.

Mick and Len shared a look. “Idiot,” Len said softly.

“Softhearted idiot,” Mick agreed. 

Then they followed to properly meet their new crewmate.


	2. What's in a Name?

“What’s its name?” asked Jax as he watched the cat rubbing its head against Sara’s shoulder in the Waverider’s medical bay.

“Princess?” said Len.

“It’s a he,” Sara told him.

“So’s Raymond,” he replied. “Princess it is.”

Ray rolled his watering eyes. Gideon manufactured a shot for him and Mick jabbed it in his neck. 

“Ow!” Ray said. Mick grinned.

“I think he should be Schrodinger,” Ray said, looking delighted at the suggestion. “You know... Schrodinger’s Cat?” he added. He frowned at the blank looks on his crewmates’ faces.

“Sorry, we didn’t major in stupid stuff nobody cares about,” Len said.

Martin sighed. “Perhaps you should have, Mr. Snart. That is an excellent suggestion for a feline on a time machine. Although, personally, I think it should be Occam,” Martin said. 

Jax gave him a side eye. “That’s even worse than Schrodinger.”

Rip entered the suite, “There you are Miss Lance. Welcome bac—aaa-ACK! What is that?”

“A cat,” Sara said.

“When I said you needed to stop picking up strays, I literally meant, you should stop picking up strays.”

“I didn’t,” Sara said. “My sister found it. She was going to adopt it but you know, since we can’t save her, the cat will be orphaned in a month.”

The crew looked at Rip and he sighed, giving Sara an apologetic look. “What have you named it?”

“We were just discussing that,” Ray said. “I vote for Schrodinger.”

Rip smiled. “That’s a good one.” 

The assassin/criminal elements of the team collectively rolled their eyes.

“Oh my God!” Kendra squealed as she joined the group. “It’s so cute!”

She picked up the cat and started cooing to it. “Aren’t you the sweetest thing?”

She looked at Sara. “How old is it?”

“Gideon thinks about six months,” Sara said.

“You are too cute,” Kendra said, laughing as the kitten rubbed his head against her chin.

“What’s his name?” she asked.

“There is some debate apparently,” Rip said.

“I like Bast, for the Egyptian goddess of cats,” Kendra said.

“Just when I thought nothing could be worse than Martin’s idea,” Jax said. 

“I like Fluffy,” Len said. The team looked at the hardened criminal. “Well, it is... fluffy.”

Mick growled. He picked up the kitten and placed in on his shoulder. “Let’s go check out the galley for tuna, Furball.” The kitten meowed as it rubbed against the arsonist’s warm neck. 

“Furball, it is,” Len said.

“Hell no,” Sara said. “That’s a stupid name.”

They bickered as they followed Mick out the door. 

Rip gave Ray a sympathetic look. “I seem to recall you are allergic to furry animals.”

“Gideon gave me a shot.” Ray grinned, looking a little loopy. He turned to leave the medbay as well. Kendra tucked an arm under his shoulder as he weaved a bit. 

“If Gideon has tuna, maybe she can make tuna casserole,” he said as they disappeared into the hall.

“Gideon, what did you give Dr. Palmer?”

“Allergastion,” she replied.

Rip groaned. “Wasn’t that outlawed?”

“Yes, but since Dr. Palmer won’t be driving any motor vehicles, it seemed the best solution.”

“No, he just wears a suit that can fire subatomic particles through the ship’s hull,” Rip reminded her.

“Good point, Captain. I will continue to peruse medical records for a possible solution.”

“Thank you Gideon. Now please, take us out of here.”


	3. Cat and Mouse

Ray studied the remote for his ATOM suit for a moment before adjusting the controls one more time. Then he told Sara, “If the suit controls are still acting up, you’ll have to use this remote to bring me back to normal size.” 

He showed her which button to press. Sara frowned. 

“It’s not going to blow you up to gigantor size is it? I’m pretty sure that would be a bad thing inside the Waverider,” she said, holding the remote like it might explode at any moment. 

The kitten nuzzled the remote before Sara handed him to Snart.

Ray assured her, “The supersize option isn’t included on that remote. Don’t worry, I’ll just return to my normal size.”

He continued, “So, once we test the suit’s sizing capabilities, I can work on the viscosity of the engine thruster lines. It’s so much easier to work in there when I’m miniaturized. Did I tell you what happened...” he didn’t get to finish the sentence before Len punched the green miniature button.

The kitten squeaked and clambered on top of Len’s head. The remote flew in the air and Sara caught it, fully expecting Ray to supersize through the ship. For an instant everything was quiet and then a small, squeaky voice said, “At least you could have waited until I had my helmet on.” 

Ray, the size of a cupcake, stomped across the lab before flying up to view the readouts on his computer screen. 

“Ow!,” Len muttered, reaching up for the kitten. The cat had sunk its claws into his scalp as it leaned forward, watching the flying suit closely. 

Sara noticed the evil grin that spread on Len’s face. 

“Don’t...” she didn’t finish the thought before Len had put the kitten down. It began to slowly stalk the unsuspecting ATOM. Sara rolled her eyes. At least Ray was safe as he hovered a few feet off the ground. 

She realized she was so wrong when the kitten suddenly launched into the air, batting the tiny flying man.

Ray yelped as he spun through the air. He struggled to right himself and it looked as though the feline had damaged his thrusters as he flailed for a bit before landing in a small heap. He stood up and shook his head in time to see the kitten squat and wiggle his bottom, preparing to launch again.

“Sara!” he called.

Sara reached for the remote but it was gone. She gave Leonard a furious look while he just grinned.

“Snart!” she snarled.

Ray tried to fly up but flew instead under the leaping kitten. He spun around helplessly and landed between two toolboxes. The kitten pounced, reaching a paw into the small space. 

They heard the squeak, “SARA!”

“I am so going to kick your ass,” Sara told Snart. 

“So a win-win for me,” he told her laughing. 

Sara reached for his pockets as Ray flew over the kitten’s head and landed, running for his life. Sara grabbed the device but accidently hit one of the buttons. Horrified, she looked, expecting the worst, but saw Ray actually became even smaller. Now he was insect size. That didn’t seem to deter the furry terror at all.

Sara held up the device but the kitten had landed on the flying ATOM, holding it under his tiny paws.

“What are you waiting for?” Len asked, amused.

“It might hurt Furball,” Sara said.

Len snorted. 

Kendra joined them. “Has anyone seen Ray? Rip wants an update on the engine repairs.” She scooped up the kitten, then gasped at the tiny body laying on the floor.

Sara punched the green button and Ray returned to full size, but lay groaning on the floor.

“Bad kitty,” Kendra said. “Bad, bad kitty!”

The kitten butted her chin with his head and purred.

The three crewmates gathered around Ray. 

“Are you all right?” Kendra asked.

Ray sat up and shot Sara a hurt look. She pointed to Snart. Ray’s eyes narrowed.

“Lucifer,” Ray muttered, standing up.

“Thank you,” Len said.

“I meant the cat,” Ray said. “Although if the shoe fits...”

The cat reached a paw toward Ray and meowed.

Ray leaned forward and said softly, “I don’t care how cute you are. You are a menace to science.”

Kendra laughed and hugged the kitten. “But he’s so cute.”

“Unless he’s ten times bigger than you and thinks you’re dinner,” Ray said.

“Bad little Lucifer,” Sara said. 

She and Kendra looked at each other. “Lucky!” they said in unison.

The kitten meowed loudly. 

“He likes it,” they said.

Kendra patted Ray’s arm. “I’m glad you’re okay,” she said. He looked a little less cranky. “Rip wanted to know how the engine repairs are going,” she added.

Ray considered. “I just need to test one piece of equipment,” he said, watching Snart leave the lab. He fired a tiny light beam toward Snart’s ass just as the doors closed. They heard the howl in the hallway.

Ray chortled. He reconnected the cable the kitten had dislodged and tested his thrusters. 

“Ready,” he said and nodded to Sara. “Let’s take a look at that engine.”

Kendra and Sara laughed as they heard Snart promising retribution while he stomped, albeit gingerly, toward the med bay. 

“I would love to hear him explain this to Rip,” Sara said.

“I bet Gideon’s already told him,” Kendra said. 

“It’s in my new protocols,” Gideon answered.

“New protocols?” Ray asked.

“To notify Captain Hunter whenever teammates use advanced weaponry on each other. Although he naturally assumed it would never involve Dr. Palmer,” Gideon said, sounding amused.

“Do you blame me?” Ray asked, sounding put out again.

“Not at all Dr. Palmer. In fact Captain Hunter has a message for you.”

“What’s that?” Sara asked.

“Nice shot,” Gideon said.


	4. Mick and Furball

Rip marched along the Waverider’s halls, on his way to the room that Sara and Kendra had taken over for their workout/timeout from testosterone sessions. He passed Mr. Rory’s cabin and then stopped, walking backwards two steps to look inside. 

That cat had an incredible knack for finding whichever crew might be taking a nap, Rip decided. It was as though it had a warm, inert-body radar. He sighed. He was pretty sure in the millennia of time masters traveling through time, there had probably never been a ship’s cat before.

He shook his head as he continued on his mission to find Sara to ask her opinion about a time anomaly in the era of Genghis Khan. When this crew met, he would have bet the Waverider that Mick Rory would never be found snoring loudly, clutching a small cat as though his life depended on it. Or that said delicate creature would be purring just as loudly and kneading the big man’s chest.

Still, he thought, in the old days, ships nearly always had a cat so there was some historical precedence. He doubted the Waverider would ever be overrun by rats or other vermin, the original need for a feline crew but then, maybe this crew had other needs that Fluffy/Furball/Lucky/Lucifer/Bast/Shrodinger might satisfy. 

Like Sara’s heartbreak.

Truth be told, he wasn’t sure if the anomaly was concerning enough to justify landing in such a dangerous time but he could think of nothing better to keep Sara’s mind occupied than hand to hand combat with a horde of marauders. God help the Mongols, he thought.


	5. Len and Fluffy

“Okay, that’s a no on the lemongrass and catmint. Gideon, next,” Len said.

“I suggest we try catnip. It is generally quite popular with felines,” Gideon responded as the ship’s replicator began to grow a leafy plant.

Fluffy had rejected their first two attempts but now, showed a marked interest in the new plant. Len tried to hold him back to allow the replicator a chance to finish but the kitten grew eight legs trying to reach the catnip plant.

“I think we have a winner,” Len said, satisfied. He lifted the plant from the machine and sat it on the counter. 

Fluffy attacked the plant, nosing it, then rubbing against it, then finally pushing it over and simply rolling on it.

When Len tried to right the plant, the cat became possessive and batted at him, claws partially extended to show he meant business.

“Dear me,” Gideon said. “He seems a bit demented.”

“Perfect,” Len said.

“I must say Mr. Snart,” Gideon said. “I am quite surprised by your affection for the newest crew member.”

“It’s not affection. It’s appreciation,” Len said, picking up the slightly-drugged cat and the plant.

“Appreciation?” Gideon asked.

“Uh-ha,” Len said. “I completely appreciate Fluffy’s more useful possibilities.”

“Oh-oh,” Gideon said as Len walked out of the supply room.

“Captain,” she said softly, calling to Rip in his office. “I believe I may have inadvertently made a mistake.”

“What sort of mistake, Gideon?” he asked, sounding concerned.


	6. Sweetums and Catnip

Rip heard a commotion in the hall. He stepped out, only to duck as a tiny ATOM suit flew past his head, Dr. Palmer shouting about obedience lessons.

The kitten raced along after him, leaping up occasionally to swat at the flying suit before landing gracefully to continue his galloping pursuit.

Rip heard the laughter even before he turned, scowling.

Len was videotaping the spectacle.

“I take it we have found a use for the catnip?” Rip asked, exasperated.

Len grinned. “Yep. Smear some on Palmer and it’s the best show in town,” Len said.

Rip sighed as he trotted after the fleeing pair.

He found Dr. Palmer on top of a bookshelf in Sara’s quarters while the kitten leaped against the smooth side and slid down.

“Oh baby,” Sara crooned, picking him up. She held him up, nose to nose. “Lucky, we talked to you about torturing Ray. As much as we all enjoy it, we really might need him in one piece someday.”

“Very funny!” came the squeaky reply. 

“Resizing button still not working?” Sara asked.

“It’s being overridden,” Ray said.

Sara looked at the laughing Snart and sighed. She held out a hand and he handed over the remote. 

“Wanna fly down before I resize you?” she asked.

“Have you got Lucifer under control?”

“Lucky promises to be a good boy,” Sara said.

Ray flew down, keeping a weather eye on the cat struggling in Sara’s arms. He resized and the kitten shrieked his displeasure. Ray sneezed.

“Bast,” Kendra said, joining them. “Are you bothering Ray again?”

The kitten meowed in response.

“I suggest you put your suit through a proper detox rinse, Dr. Palmer,” Rip said. “Gideon, please note that catnip will no longer be allowed on the Waverider.”

“Yes, Captain,” Gideon responded as all eyes turned to Snart.

“What? You can’t blame a guy for trying,” he said, grinning. 

Ray’s eyes narrowed and Rip held up a hand. “Perhaps it would be best to keep the kitten confined to only certain areas of the ship in the future.”

“Captain,” Gideon said, a question in her voice.

“Yes Gideon?”

“Is it normal for one animal to have so many names?” she asked.

Rip sighed as he glowered at his second most troublesome crew member. The kitten batted huge eyes back at him.

“I’m sure eventually the crew will choose a name for the beast. It really isn’t that important though,” Rip said. “Personally, I am still hoping to find a nice family in a peaceful time that might adopt him. Until then, I would prefer to not deal with the little disaster,” he said, sounding grumpy.

“I understand,” Gideon said. “Perhaps you would feel better about the situation if the crew used the name you call it when it’s sleeping on your desk?”

Now all eyes turned to Rip as he blushed. “Gideon, about that supply list I requested?”

“Oh-ho,” Sara said, laughing. “Gideon, what does our illustrious captain call Lucky when they're snuggling?”

Gideon answered before Rip could stop her.

“Why, Sweetums,” Gideon said.

Len snickered and Ray arched an eyebrow. The women both giggled before they recovered and gave Rip expectant looks.

“Fine, the furball stays, but…” he said holding up a hand, “No more catastrophes!”

Everyone snorted at this and Rip sighed, thinking fondly of the days when time masters worked alone.


	7. Inappropriate Cat Toys

Ray walked into Sara’s quarters and without a word held out his arms.

She handed him the cat.

He put the animal to his face and they stared at each other for moment. 

Then another moment.

Ray and Sara began to smile.

“Well done Gideon, you did it…. Oh no,” Sara said as Ray closed his eyes and began to breathe in. She sighed and took the cat from him as he began to sneeze.

He walked out of the quarters mumbling, “How hard can it be? It should be simple science!”

Sara looked at the cat who blinked innocently.

“Are you sure you’re not doing it on purpose?”

The kitten patted her cheek and looked around for the toy they had been playing with.

Jax and Mick had created a tiny doll that remarkably replicated the ATOM suit. Carter had tied a hangman’s noose on it with a stick and string and it had become Sweetums favorite toy. 

Sara kissed his downy head and flicked the toy as he scrambled to chase it.

“It’s a good thing Ray doesn’t hold a grudge,” she muttered as the cat skittered madly after the toy.


	8. About That Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did you ever start down a path with a story that seemed like a good idea and then became so convoluted there wasn’t much hope of recovery? Not sure if this will be kept but we had to get Sara fighting her Mongols. And that darned cat….

Rip stared at the sight in Dr. Palmer’s lab before chalking it up to the ever growing list of, “Things I never thought I’d see.”

Ray worked on a modification to one of the Waverider’s replication machines while the kitten dozed on his work bench. Occasionally the kitten flicked his long, fluffy tail over Ray’s arm and Ray pushed it safely out of the way. Within a few seconds, the cat, seemingly asleep, flicked its tail over his arm again.

Rip had noticed the cat spending more time with Dr. Palmer and considered it some form of feline vagary. The wives’ tales that cats would always shower attention on the one poor soul in a room who might be allergic or fearful appeared to be true. If he hadn’t known better, he would say Dr. Palmer was quickly becoming the feline’s favorite crew member. 

He entered the lab to brief Ray on the upcoming mission to ancient Khwarazmian and the possibility that a magical device was aiding the locals against the invading Mongols on their reign of terror through the Persian territory. If it was as he feared, they would need the ATOM suit fully operational and all the team for the mission.

The cat sleepily rubbed against his arm in greeting.

“We are assembling for a team meeting but I wanted to check in with you about the ATOM suit. I think we are going to need you fully operational to miniaturize and return to normal in case things get ugly,” Rip told him.

Ray nodded. “The suit is fine. Now that Gideon is locking it away from Leonard.”

Rip sighed. “That is probably a good idea. If you are ready then, let’s begin our mission brief.”

____________

The team listened to Gideon’s very brief explanation of the time line disturbance.

“A local shah, Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu is supposed to be losing to Genghis Khan but instead, he is winning quite handily against the Mongols’ battle-hardened troops and superior numbers,” Gideon explained. 

“Is that a bad thing?” Kendra asked.

“Unfortunately it is,” Rip said. “Gideon has now confirmed it is a very bad thing. Khan is horrifying and destructive but the current timeline shows a much more terrifying fate for the world if history is changed. The Shah wins, then wages a war of retribution against Delhi for not assisting him. Several assassinations then escalate into a lengthy conflict between India and China. The medical, engineering and other amazing accomplishments we know from the entire region never occur and the Dark Ages last until the 21st century.”

“Dang,” Sara said.

“Indeed,” Rip said. 

Gideon elaborated, “Genghis Khan’s forces were supposed to have made their way into the region by now, but instead Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu has led a force of farmers and shepherds into one victory after another against the invading Mongols.”

Rip added, “The timeline now shows rumors about a magical staff the Shah carried to victory.”

“What do you think it is?” Martin asked.

“We think it might be the Spear of Destiny,” Rip replied. “It was missing for several hundred years after it disappeared from an Ethiopian monastery around this time.”

“That’s just legend, isn’t it?” Martin asked. “The spear that pierced the side of Christ and gives its bearer incredible power?”

Rip said, “Except that Hitler used it to keep the earliest members of the Justice Society from invading Germany which allowed him to conquer most of Europe with an impoverished and outnumbered army.”

The group grew quiet.

“I hate Nazis,” Mick growled.

“Agreed,” Len said. “Where do we start?”

“Miss Lance, Dr. Palmer, Mr. Rory and Mr. Snart will try to reach the Shah after he returns from battle tonight. There may be quite a celebration with fermented drinks, and hopefully security around the staff will be lax. If it’s possible, a subtle bit of thieving would be preferable,” Rip said. “If it’s not possible, the ATOM will need to grab the sword and Jax, you and Professor Stein will provide cover for the rest of the team to return.”

_________

The team waited in the Waverider’s cargo bay for Rip’s signal. Ray wore the ATOM suit, prepared to miniaturize and stow away in Sara’s pocket. Len, Mick, Sara, Martin and Jax all wore peasant costumes from the Khwarezmian Empire in 1220 AD. Carter and Kendra would wait with Rip as a final line of defense in case the mission went completely sideways.

The Waverider flew as close to the Shah’s encampment as possible and the team disembarked. Moving through the dead of night, they noted how many of the people they passed slept soundly, either from celebration or exhaustion.

Every one of the team hated the idea they might be helping Genghis Khan on a path of destruction through these people but the ensuing nightmare if they didn’t right the timeline was much worse. Still, they were a somber group moving toward the largest tent in the center of the camp.

Then Sara motioned for them to stop and duck behind a tent. They watched as a small group of men, dressed in rougher clothing, also crept through the camp.

“Oh dear,” Martin whispered. “That actually might be Genghis Khan.”

Rip’s voice in their earpieces agreed. “And unfortunately, he is also not supposed to be here. The Shah survives for another decade and provides some stability in the region. If Khan is successful at killing him, we may have a third disastrous version of the future to deal with. And God forbid Khan gets his hands on that spear.”

“Death and destruction no matter what we do. So what else is new,” Mick growled in a soft whisper.

“We could use this to our advantage,” Ray’s small voice said in their communication links.

“How?” Sara asked.

“We need a distraction. Maybe we sound the alarm about the intruders.”

“Except Genghis Khan lives for anther seven years,” Gideon warned.

“How about we just kill all the assholes and let history work itself out?” Mick said.

“I never thought I’d say this but I’m with Mick,” Ray said.

They all heard Rip’s heavy sigh.

“Right,” Sara said. “So don’t kill Khan. Keep him from killing the Shah. Steal the magical device that isn’t supposed to exist and try not to get killed ourselves.”

“That sounds about right,” Rip said.

“A typical mission then,” Len said, amused.

“Well boys, buckle up. It’s going to get a little bumpy,” Sara said before dashing across the encampment and taking out two of the men with Khan. 

Ray flew up and buzzed toward the main tent, diving in and spotting an old Roman spear leaning against a makeshift bed of pillows. He didn’t consider himself a superstitious or particularly religious man but the sight did give him a slight chill down his spine. He wondered how many lives had been affected by the spear over the millennia.

Two sleepy guards stood at the tent entrance and their attention was fixed on the fracas occurring just out of their sight. Ray buzzed one, distracting him until Len smacked him on the head with his definitely not-of-this-time gun.

“I thought you were supposed to leave that behind,” Ray hissed.

“That just never works well for me,” Len said, bopping the other guard who crumpled in a heap.

He stole into the tent as its inhabitants began to stir, disturbed by the rising shouts in the camp. Len grabbed the sword and promptly dropped it. 

“Damn,” he said. “That carries a punch.” He picked it up and raced from the tent as the Shah awoke and shouted a warning. 

Ray fired a series of tiny light flashes into the badly disorganized group, stinging them but not harming anyone. He was so focused on creating a cover for Len to escape that he didn’t see the massive hand reaching for him. He yelped as one of the Shah’s men grabbed him and peered at him in disbelief. 

Then the man screamed in pain and danced around before crashing into one of the tent poles. As the structure began to shake, Ray struggled to get free. He finally wriggled loose, only to catch sight of a tent pole crashing toward him. A ridiculously fluffy tale flicked past his vision before the pole hit him, knocking him senseless.

A minute later he groaned as he flopped painfully, carried by some huge beast, racing through a fury of screaming and clashing people. After a moment, he lost the fight to stay conscious and fell limp in his tormentor’s enormous jaws.

Ray groaned as he tried to stir from the soft ground under him. At some point, he thought he had resized to normal but his senses were so foggy, he wasn’t entirely sure he wasn’t dreaming. 

And that was before the beautiful woman walked toward him, wearing a very sexy magician’s outfit with fishnet stockings. 

She knelt beside Ray and touched his cheek. “Really sweetie, I thought we were making such progress.”

She bent forward to kiss him and whispered, “When I wiped some of your emotional memories and removed the trauma from losing Anna, I didn’t think you would keep courting danger. At some point, even the ATOM runs out of lives my love.”

Carter walked up and smirked. At least, it looked like Carter but different. His hair was different and he had a strong American accent. “When I asked you to help my future best friend, I didn’t expect you to fall for him,” he said.

The beautiful woman stood and glowered at the Hawkman. “You never told me how adorable he is.”

Carter snorted. “What is it with Palmer? And by the way… why a male cat?” 

She shrugged. “The cat was already there. It was the perfect way to spend some time distracting our mutual friend.” She grimaced. “Believe me, the cat is even less thrilled about sharing his head space with me than you were,” she said. 

Carter shook his head. “Well, knowing Ray, he’s probably already conned by the furball and fattening it up with tuna.”

The beautiful woman laughed. “Actually he’s allergic to cats.”

Carter barked with laughter. “Even better. It will make sure you keep your distance.”

Carter nudged Ray with a foot. “Hey, up and at ‘em loverboy. The team’s waiting.”

Ray began to stir, finally waking up to find the kitten sitting on his chest, a Cheshire cat smile on his face. 

“Zatanna?” Why did that name come to mind he thought? He didn’t know anyone by that name and he was quite certain he had never met a woman who looked like that stunning creature in his dream. 

“What?” he asked the cat, sounding frustrated.

“Meow,” the cat said and winked at him. 

“Right,” Ray groaned and picked up the cat before lifting off, flying back to the Waverider. 

“Oh my god, Ray,” Kendra said. “Are you all right?”

He nodded and handed her the cat. “I think so. What happened with the mission?”

Rip responded, “Mission accomplished. Sort of. Miss Lance took exception to one of the Mongol generals who snuck into the camp and insulted him. Then she kicked Genghis Khan’s arse apparently on general principle.”

Sara smiled. “He’s still alive. I followed orders.”

Rip continued, “Mr. Snart stole the magical device and Firestorm terrified the locals who thought the devil walked among them in punishment for their sins. Oh, and apparently the cat saved your life.”

Ray looked at the cat purring in his arms. “That explains why you were on my chest when I came too,” he said. “But how did you get out?” The cat blinked innocently.

“According to Gideon, he snuck out with the team and none of you noticed.”

Ray arched an eyebrow. “Well thanks Lucky,” he said, putting the cat down and groaning as he straightened.

“Perhaps you should have Gideon run a medical scan before you retire,” Rip said.

Ray nodded in agreement, then asked, “Did Carter leave the ship?”

Rip said, “No, why?”

Ray shook his head. “I just thought I saw him,” he said. “Never mind.” The cat leaped back into his arms and Ray caught him without thinking before leaving the cargo area.

Ray walked stiffly toward the medical bay, favoring his right side and thinking he needed to have Gideon run a brain scan because he was pretty sure there must be some damage. Why else would he conjure a hallucination that happened to have the same intriguing eyes as their furry companion? The cat reached a gentle paw to his cheek and purred.


	9. Three's a Crowd, If One is a Cat.

The cat rubbed against Ray, offering a sultry purr.

“Can male cats go into heat?” Jax asked, looking askance at the kitten ardently rubbing Ray’s chest.

“I’ve never heard of such a thing,” Rip said, but he didn’t sound very confident.

“I have,” Carter said. “Still, it’s not a pretty sight,” he added, jeering at Ray a bit.

Ray barely noticed though as the crew finished with lunch. He was so tired from working late the last few days in his lab that he was nearly falling asleep in his untouched food. The only reason he remembered to eat lunch was the cat started howling incessantly and reminded him it needed a snack. 

“You, young man, need sleep,” Martin said to him as Ray’s head nodded again.

Ray sighed. “I think you’re right. I’m going to turn in.” He cleared his plate and the cat’s and walked slowly to his empty cabin. 

Kendra and Carter seemed to be making a slow peace with each other and while Ray just wanted Kendra to be happy, he missed her and the ache made him miss Anna all over again. Strange. He hadn’t hurt when thinking of Anna for some time, as though the memory had dimmed but every now and again something reminded him of that dreadful night and he felt so numb that he barely remembered what day it was. 

A counselor had diagnosed him with PTSD after Anna’s death and he had kept himself busy, building his company, his ATOM suit, his life and then building a family here on the Waverider, but still, there were moments when the sadness simply overwhelmed.

The cat trotted alongside him, jumping on the bed as he collapsed in exhaustion. He felt himself drifting to sleep.

“Oh lover, it’s just not easy is it?” the sultry voice asked.

His eyes snapped open and he saw the beautiful woman laying where the cat had been.

“Hi,” he squeaked. 

She smiled and touched a hand to his face.

“This trying to keep your memories but remove the trauma is not an exact science,” she said. “I guess you need a bit of a tune-up.”

“Uhm,” Ray said as she leaned over and placed her lips a hair’s breadth from his.

“But first, I’ve missed you,” she whispered.

Ray didn’t notice the cat stalking from his room in injured dignity as the beautiful woman began to kiss him and then so much more.

When Ray woke up several hours later, he felt remarkably better. Energized in fact. He sat up and realized he didn’t even remember taking his clothes off. He had been exhausted he thought. So tired, he also didn’t remember any dreams. In fact his mind felt clear and fresh, ready to tackle another problem with Professor Stein.

He showered and dressed, then opened his quarters to leave.

“Look out!” he heard Sara say and froze but not soon enough. He felt the squish under his shoe and looked down, horrified at the evidence of a cat’s displeasure and issues with a hairball. 

Sara arrived with several towels. “I was going to clean it up before you saw it. Lucky has been a pill while you were asleep. He actually demolished the little ATOM doll. Gideon kept him from entering your lab since he seemed in a particularly destructive mood.”

The object of their discussion sauntered toward them, fluffy plume of a tail wafting in the air. The cat rubbed Ray’s leg and purred a throaty greeting.

Carter joined them. “I see your girlfriend is in a better mood,” Carter said. “It’s been a pain in the ass the past few hours.”

Ray grit his teeth and tried to keep that happy buzz he had woken up with.

Sara watched the adoring cat rub Ray. “I wonder if cats can be schizophrenic?” she asked.

“You mean like people who live multiple lives and identities,” Ray said, giving Carter a pointed look.

“Meow,” Carter said, dismissing Ray with rolled eyes and walking away.

“This is why I preferred snakes as pets,” Ray said. “And not the human kind,” he groused as they walked toward the galley. Sara washed up while Ray created a heaping plate of food. 

He dove into his food. Lucky jumped up on the chair next to him. 

Rip joined them and Sara asked, “So is the timeline back to normal after all the Genghis Khan excitement? 

“It is indeed,” Rip said. “I know it was hard, choosing the lesser of two very great evils, but time has been restored.”

“What happens to the Spear?” Ray asked.

“We will return it to the monastery where it has been kept safe for more than a thousand years. From there, we have to assume the proper events will unfold as they are meant to.”

“So what makes it so magical?” Sara asked.

Ray snorted. “There’s no such thing as magic,” he said, then winced in pain as the cat sank its claws in his arm. “Ow!” he said, pushing the cat away. A tiny drop of blood beaded on his arm.

The cat instantly rubbed against him, purring seductively. 

Rip arched an eyebrow at the cat. “Interesting,” he said.

“That’s one way of putting it,” Sara said. “He seemed like a normal cat until a few days ago. Maybe Snart screwed it up with the catnip?”

Rip shrugged as he looked at the cat, then carried his cup of tea from the galley.

Ray finished his food, cleaned up and headed with Sara toward his lab. They passed Kendra along the way. 

“I was just coming to find you,” Sara said. “Ready for another lesson in humility?”

Kendra laughed. “Are you?” she asked. Their daily sparring sessions had turned more competitive as Kendra’s skills improved.

As Ray continued to his lab, Kendra stood for a moment.

“You okay?” Sara asked softly.

“Yes, but do you smell that?”

“Smell what?” Sara said.

Kendra shook her head. “It’s floral but with a hint of spice. It reminds me of something, maybe from a past life,” she said. She smiled wistfully. “Something good,” she added.

“Good is good,” Sara said. “After saving Genghis Khan to save the world, we could all do with a little good.”

The two women walked toward the area they used for sparring as Kendra tried to remember where she had smelled that scent before.

____________

Carter and Kendra stood, watching the ship take off. Carter with a bit longer hair and Kendra with a bit shorter. 

“You are such an ass,” she said, trying to stifle a laugh.

“Yeah, but you love me,” Carter said.

“I didn’t then,” she said. “You were seriously an ass.”

Carter sighed. It was an old argument. 

“Hey, my last incarnation had been in the 50’s. Can you blame me for being an idiot?”

“Yes!” she said, but without much heat. “It really took your friendship with Ray to get you into this century,” she reminded him.

“That’s why we’re here,” he said. “To make sure we don’t lose him in the grief again.”

“He does seem happy with Zatanna. They’re good for each other,” she admitted.

“Like you’re good for me. Even though I’m an ass,” he said, kissing her temple.

“As long as you don’t forget it,” she said.

“Well, after you threatened to kick Zatanna’s ass if she ever wiped my memories again, I think the chances of forgetting you are pretty slim now,” he told her.

Kendra looked satisfied at the remembrance, even though Zatanna was now probably her best friend. “We just needed to establish some boundaries,” she said.

Carter snorted. “That’s what that was? I thought it was World War Three,” he said.

She leaned her head against his shoulder. “No. Just a couple of women sorting things out.”

“Uh-huh. Well you both scared the shit out of Ray and me.” He hugged her to his side before whispering. “It was also sexy as hell.”

She laughed and the two returned to the other Waverider, leaving their friends to find their way to a brighter future.


End file.
